System for processing textile fibers



y 25, 1965 A. L. BURNET ETAL 3,184,798

SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING TEXTILE FIBERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1962 INVENTORS 14/77/74? [.Bumvs r flaraurrd W0 00s BY #W ATTORNEYS May 25, 1965 A. BURNET ETAL 3,134,793

SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING TEXTILE FIBERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1962 INVENTORS im/afilfimn ATTORNEY y 5, 1965 A. BURNET ETAL SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING TEXTILE FIBERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 4, 1962 ATTORNEY? May 25, 1965 A. L. BURNET ETAL SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING TEXTILE FIBERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 4, 1962 O 5 C! L L H TOR Rsconnme HEAD PICKUP HEAD 'mwmenc TA PE. 2/4

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May 25, 1965 A. L. BURNET ETAL SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING TEXTILE FIBERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 4, 1962 INVENTORS fix? rx/ur? [.Buawzr flER'A-HTJ h/@ 0.05

BY 9 ATTORNEY! May 25, 1965 A. L. BURNET ETAL SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING TEXTILE FIBERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 4, 1962 INVENTORS 14/? NM? 11 .B umvs r ///r a 5/? rd W0 003 am am {MM ATTORNEW United States Patent 3,184,798 SYSTEM FOR PRUCESSING TEXTILE FIBERS Arthur L. Eurnet and Herbert 5. Woods, Greensboro,

N.., assignors to Burlington Industries, line, Greensbore, Nil, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 4, 1962, Ser. No. 199,697 9 Claims. (Cl. ra--ss This invention relates to a new and improved system for processing textile fibers. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved system which includes a plurality of cards continuously feeding slivers to a railway head.

The continuous feeding of slivers from a plurality of cards to a railway head is not new, being in fact a very old concept. A system embodying a plurality of cards and a railway head has never been successful, however, for a variety of reasons. The primary obstacle to successful operation of any heretofore known such systems has been the absence of any means for positively correlating the sliver output of the cards with the. feed or back rolls of the railway head so as to prevent the occurrence of either undue tension on the slivers during their travel to the head or an accumulation of undue quantities of the slivers between the cards and the head. Moreover, in the past, no means has been provided for positively correlating the sliver output of the several cards with each other so as to maintain a uniformity of feed of the several slivers to the railway head.

The foregoing and other deficiencies led to the abandonment of attempts to operate the system successfully Consequently, in actual present day commercial practice, the sliver produced on each individual card is immediately coiled into cans, and then the slivers from several cans are subsequently combined and fed to a drawing frame. Of course, the coiling of sliver from individual cards into cans results in inefliciency. In the first place, labor is required to doff and transport the cans to drawing frames. Secondly, the feeding of a drawing frame from cans results in a certain amount of waste because of uneven runout of sliver from several cans feeding a single drawing frame. Waste also occurs when ends of sliver are spliced. Thirdly, such actual commercial practice requires excessive floor space, i.e., space for can coilers for each card, walk space for carding machine tenders, storage space for full cans, space for empty cans at the front of cards, and space for creel cans behind each drawing frame.

Still another reason for failure of prior elforts to successfully combine a plurality of cards with a railway head has been the lack of an adequate evener motion for a railway head. Most evener motions for drawing frames, and the like, include some means for sensing variations in the mass or thickness of sliver as it approaches the frame. The sensing device irectly controls the speed of the front rolls of the frame in order to apply an appropriate draft change to compensate or correct for the variation. It will be seen, however, that such an evener motion applies a correction before the same should be made, In other words, the correction-is applied simultaneously with the sensing of a need therefor, but at a location along the length of the sliver removed from the point at which the variation is sensed.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved system for processing textile fibers which includes a plurality of cards feeding slivers to a railway head, which system eliminates the aforedescribed disadvantages attendant the coiling of slivers from individual cards into cans and subsequently feeding a plurality of slivers from such cans to a single drawing frame.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved evener motion for a drawing frame, which includes time delay mechanism correlated with the speed of move- 3,184,79d Patented May 25, 1965 "ice ment of the sliver, in order to vary the speed of the front rolls to apply a draft change to that section of the sliver wherein variations actually occur.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are accomplished by (l) synchronizing the drive of the dofiing mechanisms and also the feeding mechanisms of all of the cards, so as to assure a uniformity of output from each; (2) maintaining a substantially constant mass of the sliver travelling between the cards and the railway head by varying the speed of the doifing mechanisms of all of the cards in response to variations in such mass; (3) driving the back rolls of the railway head at constant speed; and (4) changing the the speed of the front rolls of the railway head in response to the average of the variations in mass or thickness of the several slivers approaching the railway head, and interposing a time delay, between variation-sensing and the effecting of correcting-speed-changes, substantially equal to the time required for sliver to travel from the sensing means to the drafting point effected by the front rolls. As explained more in detail hereinafter, the aforementioned improved evener motion, which incorporates a time delay mechanism, is applicable to the effective control of physical variations in other types of material that are moving in a substantially continuous stream.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective, omewhat diagrammatic, view, illustrating a system embodying this invention for combining a plurality of cards with a railway head.

FIGURE 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic, side elevational view of one of the cards shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of the card shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary, side elevational view of a portion of the card shown in FIGURE 3, and taken substantially along line 4-4 thereof.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, elevational view taken substantially along line 55 of FIGURE 1, and with portions being broken away for illustration of details.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged side elevational view, with portions broken away, of the railway head shown in FIGURE 1. I

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary, elevational view taken substantially on line '77 of FIGURE 1, and including a wiring diagram for the evener motion for the railway head.

FIGURE 8 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of exemplary drive trains for the various elements of the railway head shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of apparatus for maintaining a reserve supply of fibers between the cards and the railway head shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 1 a plurality of typical tex' tile cards 26), which, for purposes of illustration, are shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 as being of the type having revolving flats. It will be realized, however, that the invention is equally applicable to roll top cards. As is well known in the art, each card 29 is provided with a pair of feed rolls 22 (FIGURES 2 and 3) to which fibers may be fed from a rolled lap 24 which rests on a lap roll 26. Although, for purposes of illustration, the cards 2% are shown as being fed with a lap, it further will be realized that the invention is equally applicable to cards which are fed by weighing feeds (not shown) that periodically deposit predetermined quantities of fibers on an apron which conveys the fibers to the card feed rolls 22. The feed rolls 22 present the fibers directly to a conventionalylicker-in 28, which, in turn, transfers the fibers to a main carding cylinder 30 whereon the fibers are carded by the interaction of card Clothing on the cylinder. with similar clothing on the revolving flats 32. The carded fibers are transferred from the cylinder 39 to a rotating toothed doifer cylinder 34 from which. the fibers are stripped in the form of a thin web by a conventional oscilnization could be effectively accomplished by driving the same with separate synchronous motors or by servo a motors controlled by a servo transmitter.

latingtor vibrating doffer comb 36. The dotted web of I fibers is led through a conventional condensing trumpet 38, and thence through a pair of calender rolls 4% to form sliver 42.

In order to assure uniformity of output from all of the cards 20, the doffing and feeding mechanisms of all are driven in synchronisms, as by means of a drive from I a shaft 44'extending along the front and common to all of the cards, and driven by a variable speed electric motor 46; This shaft 44, which is journalled in suit able bearings (notrshown) may have a sprocket 48 (FIG- URE 4) fixed thereto for each card. A chain 5%) trained over the sprocket 48 meshes with a'sprocket fixed on a stub shaft 54 journalledv on thermain frame 56 of the card above the drive shaft 44. A chain 58, trained over another sprocket fixed to the stub shaft 54, is trained over a large sprocket 6t) fixed to a stub shaft 64 journalled in a bracket 66 on a lever 68, one end of which is pivoted, as at 76, on the main frame 56 of the card. A small gear ,72,fixed to the stubshaft 64, meshes with a larger gear 74 fixed on one end of the shaft 76 of the,

doffing cylinder 34, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. The

free end of the lever 68 is constantly urged upwardly by t a pivoted cam 78 provided with a handle 80 so thatithe cam can be rotated counterclockwise, as shown in FIG- ,URE 4, to thus allow the lever to swing downwardly and disengage the gears 72 and 74, to thus disengage the drive for the dofiing mechanism of each card 20.

The oscillating comb 36 of each card is'driven in synchronism with the dofling cylinder 34 by an appropriate drive train which includes a gear box 82 (FIGURE 3) for converting rotary to oscillating motion. The mechanism within the box 82 is driven by a shaft 54 which ex- 4 tends therethrough and is driven by the dotfer shaft 76 through meshing bevelled gears 86'." Similarly, the calendar rol1s40 are driven in synchronism with the doifing mechanism, as by a drive from the shaft 84 through meshing bevelled gears 88. The feed rolls 22 of each card 20 are driven, through meshing gears $0, by a shaft 92 extending along one side of the card and driven by the doffer cylinder shaft 76 through meshing bevelled gears'94, as shown in FIGURE 3. Thus, it will be seen that the feed rolls 22 of each card 29 are driven inysynchronism-with the dofiing mechanism thereof, i.e., with It will be noted that drive of the dofling and feeding mechanisms of the several cards is effected from a come mon drive shaft 44 by means of chains and gears so that such mechanisms will be driven precisely in synchronism and independently of any variables, such as belt slippage, motorternperatures and motor load factors, the latter two variables being present in anyarrangement wherein the dofiing and feeding mechanisms are driven by electric" motors individual to each card. The licker-ins 28, the main carding cylinders 36 and the revolving flats 32, preferably are driven independentlyof thedoffing and feeding mechanisms, e.g., by a separate motor tea for each card' 20driving the main cylinder thereof by means of a belt or a chain 104, and with chain or belt drives 1% and 107 for the revolving flats and the licker-in, respectively from the shaft of the main cylinder, as shown in FIG- URE 3.

* sliver.

Theseveral slivers 42 emerging from the calendar,

rolls 4% of each card 2% are led to the railway head along a railway which, for purposes of illustration, is shown inFIGURE l of thedrawings as being in the form of a plurality of generally U-shaped polished guides 108 through which the several slivers are drawn in generally side-by-side relation; In Order to properly correlate the sliver production of the cards '20 with the requirements of the railway head 11%, i.e., the rate at which slivers are drawn Ihereinto, and to compensate for variations caused by temperature, humidity, etc., there, is interposed, between the cards and the head 119 apparatus 112 for effecting what may be termed a variable reservesupply of Essentially, this apparatus 112 provides means for detecting variations inthe mass'of sliver travelling between the cards 20 and the railway headlltl and for varying the speed of the synchronizeddoffing and feeding mechanisms of all ofthe cardsin a manner to'maintain said mass of slivers substantially constant.

The apparatusshown in FIGURES: l and 5 suitable for the foregoing purpose includes a pair of spring-pressed pinch rolls 114 for pulling "the slivers 42,through the guides N3. At least one of the rolls 114, e.g., the lower, is driven in synchronism with the doifing' and feeding mechanisms of the cards 20, as by a direct drive from the shaft 44 through bevelled gears 116 (FIGURE 5) and the peripheral speed of the rolls 114 is arranged to i be substantially equal to that of the calendarrolls 40. Although the railway for-the slivers 42 is shown as being in the form of polished U-shaped supports or guides 108 through which the slivers are pulled by the rolls 114, it will be realized that suchrsupports and rolls could be replacedby an apron-type conveyor (not shown), like wise positively driven at a linear speed synchronized with the speed of the dofiing and feeding mechanisms of the several cards 20.

The slivers emerging from the rolls 114yare led over an idler roller 118 spaced beyond the rolls 114 and be tween which the sliversare allowed to sag into depending loops, as shown in FIGURES 1 andS. In order to maintain the several slivers in uniform-loops a floating roll 120 desirably rests on the slivers in the bight of the loops and is guided for substantially vertical movement by end stub shafts 122 extending within vertical slots 124 in upright side plates 126. The slivers 42 trained over the roller 118 are led to the back'rolls 128 of the railway head 110v and since such backyrolls'are driven at a constant speed,'as explained hereinafter, the several slivers are removed from the variable reserve supply at a relatively constant rate.

In order to maintain a substantially constant .mass of slivers in the reserve supply apparatus 112, means are provided for sensing changes in the height of the bight of the loops of slivers and for changing the speed of the motor 46in accordance therewith to maintain the bight within a fixed range of heights. The sensing mechanism may take the form of photoelectric cells 139 and 132 arranged in vertically spaced relation, respectively, above and below the bight and to one side of the sliver loops. Electric lamps 134 and 136 are correspondingly arranged on the othervside of the loops todirect light beams 138 or 140 on the cells 13% and 132, respectively. The photoelectric cells are connectedto amplifiers 142 and 144, respectively, each of which, in turn supplies signals to a motor speed controller 146 connected between a power source, e.g., conductors 148 and the variable speed electric motor 46. The arrangement is such that the motor 46 normally runs at a substantially constant predetermined speed when neither light beams 13% or 1411 is interrupted. If the lower light beam 145) becomes interrupted by the roller 121) or the bight of the sliver loops, because the loops sag unduly so that the mass of slivers in the reserve supply apparatus 112 increases, the amplifier 144 signals the motor controller 146 to slow the driving motor 46 and thus decrease the output of slivers 42 from the cards 20 until the roller 120 is raised out of the path of the lower light beam to allow the latter to become uninterrupted. The motor will then resume its substantially constant predetermined speed of operation. On the other hand, should the upper light beam 138 become interrupted by the roller 120, because the sag in the loops is taken up so that the mass of fibers in the reserve supply apparatus 112 decreases, the amplifier 142 signals the motor controller 146 to speed up the motor 46 and thus increase the output of slivers from the several cards until the roller 120 is lowered out of the path of the upper light beam 138, at which time the motor 46 will resume its substantially constant predetermined speed.

By the operation of the above-described reserve supply mechanism, it will be seen that slivers 42 are supplied to the railway head 110 under a substantially constant tension, actually under substanstantially no tension save that necessary to withdraw the slivers from the reserve supply over the idler roller 118.

Referring now to FIGURE 9 of the drawings, there is shown a modified form of apparatus 150 for maintaining a reserve supply of slivers 42 between the cards 2% and the railway head 110. This form of the apparatus may include a J-box or scray 152 over the higher edge of which, but supported independently thereof, may be located a pair of pinch rolls 154, driven in the same manner as the rolls 114, for conveying slivers 42 from the cards 20 to the reserve supply apparatus 150. The slivers are allowed to drop into the J-box 152 and to accumulate to some extent therein before sliding up to the lower side thereof and being pulled over an independently supported idler roller 156 by the back rolls 123 of the railway head 11%). The J-box 152 is supported on one end of a scale beam 158, the other end of which is provided with a slidably adjustable counterweight 160, so that the beam will balance when a predetermined weight of slivers has accumulated in the box 152. If greater than the predetermined weight of slivers accumulates in the box, the counterweight end of the beam 153 will tilt up, and vice versa. A switch arm 162 may be secured to the counterweight end of the beam 158 and arranged to close the contacts 164 of a circuit for the motor speed controller 146 when the beam tilts upwardly as aforedescribed in order to reduce the speed of the driving motor 46 and, consequently, to decrease the rate of movement of the slivers 42 to the J-boX 152. Conversely, when the counterweight end of the beam 158 tilts downwardly, the switch arm 162 is arranged to close the contacts 166 in another circuit for the, motor controller 146 which will increase the speed of the motor 46 and thereby supply slivers at a faster rate to the J-box.

The railway head 111i simply is in the nature of a drawing frame having a pair of back rolls 128, two pairs of intermediate or break-up draft rolls 164- and 166, and a pair of front rolls 168 (FIGURES l, 6 and 8). The back rolls 128 and intermediate rolls 164 and 166 are driven at a substantially constant speed by an electric motor 170 having a drive train to one of the rolls of such pairs, e.g., a chain drive 172 to the back rolls. The first pair of intermediate or break-up draft rolls 164 have a gear drive train 174 from the back rolls 123 and a gear drive train 176 to the second intermediate rolls 166 in a manner, as shown in FlGURE 8, so that the peripheral speed of the first rolls 164 slightl exceeds that of the back rolls 128 and the peripheral speed of the second rolls 166 slightly exceeds that of the first rolls 164 so that the slivers 42 passing through the pairs of rolls 123, 16 i and 166 are drafted only slightly. On the other hand, the front rolls 168 are driven at a peripheral speed considerably in excess of that of the second inter-mediate rolls 166 so that slivers are drafted a considerable extent by the front rolls, the location of such greater drafting being at some point between the front rolls and the second intermediate rolls, the exact location depending to some extent on the nature of the fibers being drafted. For reasons later explained, the front rolls 163 are driven by a separate variable speed electric motor 178, as by a chain drive 180 therefrom. After passage through the drafting rolls 128, 164, 166 and 168, the slivers are combined, in the usual manner, by passing them through a trumpet 182 and calendary or delivery rolls 184. The resulting single sliver is led through a rotating coiler wheel 186 and thence into a rotating can 1313 wherein the resulting single sliver is neatly coiled. The calendar rolls 184, the coiler wheel 186, and the turntable 19% supporting the can 188 all are driven in synchronism with the front rolls 168 by an appropriate drive train, e.g., a shaft 192 geared to the shaft of the motor 178 and to an upright driving shaft 194 for the sliver can 188. At its lower end the shaft 194 is geared to the turntable and adjacent its upper end to the coiler wheel 186. Another shaft 196, geared to the upper end of the shaft 194 and to one of the calendar rolls 134, provides a drive for the latter.

In order to achieve uniformity of thickness or mass per unit length in the sliver produced in the railway head 11%? and emerging from the trumpet 182, the railway head is provided with a unique evener motion which changes the draft imparted by the front rolls 168 to compensate for variations or lack of uniformity in thickness or mass per unit length of all of the slivers 42 being fed to the railway head. For this purpose there is provided,

in advance of the back rolls 128, mechanism 198, best shown in FIGURE 7, for sensing variations in thickness of each individual sliver 42 as it approaches the railway head 11%). This sensing mechanism 198 may be in the form of a roller 2% having grooves 2122 therein in each of which rides an individual sliver 42. In order to avoid frictional drag of the roller 2% against the slivers 42, the roller may be driven in synchronism with the back rolls 128, as by a chain 294 passing over sprockets on the ends of the shafts of the roller 2% and of the lower roller of the pair 128. A small roller 206 rides on the sliver 42 within each groove 202 and is supported on the end of one arm of a bell crank 20% in a manner so that variations in thickness or mass of the sliver passing between the roller 206 and the bottom of the groove 202 effect swinging movements of the other arm of the bell crank. Connected to the end of such other arm of each bell crank 298, and suitably electrically insulated therefrom, is a variable condenser 21f) arranged so that its capacitance is varied by swinging movement of the bell crank arm to which it is connected. All of the condcnsers 21h are connected in parallel, and the parallel connection of the condensers comprises a part of a circuit of a conventional oscillator 212, the frequency of which is varied in accordance with variations in the average capacitance of the several condensers. It will be noted that since the condensers 210 are connected in parallel, that the capacitance which controls the frequency of the oscillator constitutes the average capacitance of the several condensers, so that the electric signal generated by the oscillator 212 is representative of the average mass or thickness of the several slivers 42.

The signals generated by the oscillator 212 therefore can be used to effect changes in the speed of the front rolls 168 to increase or decrease the draft efiected thereby in a manner to compensate for sensed variations in the mass or thickness of the several slivers 42 in a manner to maintain uniformity in mass or thickness per unit length of the single sliver produced by the railway head ale mes 7 Tilt On the other hand, it will be seen that variations are sensed at one location along the length of the travelling slivers 42 while the correction or draft change is applied at another location along the length, i.e., at the draft point which lies somewhere between the front rolls 16S and the second intermediate rolls 3166.. Consequently, if the correction is applied immediately upon sensing, the slivers will be acted upon to apply a draft change at a location spaced from that at which the variations are sensed, and to that extent the correction will be incorrectly applied.

This invention overcomes the foregoing difiiculty and applies the necessary draft changes at a location along the length of the slivers 42 whereat the variations actually occur. For this purpose, the signals produced by the oscillator 212, and which are representative of the average mass or thickness of the slivers approaching the back rolls, are stored in a moving .magnetizable means which, for purposes of illustration, is shown-in the drawings as being an endless magnetic tape 214.- The signals are impressed on and stored in the tape 214 by a recording head 216 driven by the oscillator 212. At a location spaced motor 178 normally runs at a predetermined speed but when the signals are representative of a mass or thickness greater than normal, the speed of the front rolls 168 is increased, and when the signals are representative of a less than normal mass or thickness, the speed of the front rolls is decreased.

It will be seen that a time interval elapses between the time a specific; signal is impressed on the tape 214 and stored therein and the time when such signal energizes the 25. amplifier 220 which powers a servo transmitter motor 222 which controls the speed of the motor 173 driving the front rolls 168. The arrangement is such that the amplifier 229, the length of such interval depending on t I the speed of the tape and the spacing between the heads 216 and 218. The desirable interval is equal to that required for the slivers 42 to travel from the sensing point or station 198 to the drafting point located between the front rolls 168 and the second intermediate rolls 166. To achieve thisresult, the speed of movement of the tape 214- is correlated with that of the bacl; rolls 128. For example, the speed of thetape 214 can be made exactly equal to the peripheral speed ofthe back rolls 128, for example by mounting one of the tape pulleys 22 5 on the shaft of the roller Ztltl. In such an event, the spacing between the recording and pickup heads 216 and 218 will be substantially equal to the distance between the sensing apparatus 198 and the drafting point. On the other hand, it will be realized that if the tape 214 is driven at, for

example, half the peripheral speed of the back rolls 12S,

then the distance between the recording and pick-up heads will be substantially only half of that between the sensing apparatus 198 and the drafting point. Obviously, the tape 214 can be driven directly with the back rolls 128, as shown, or by an independent variable speed motor provided with a manually controllable speed adjustment (not shown) Between the pick-up head 21% and the recording head 216, in the direction of travel of the tape 214, there is located a conventional eraser head 226 which serves .to erase the signals impressed in the tape by the recording head 216 so that the tape section approaching the latter head is free of any magnetic impressions and is ready to receive and have stored therein the new signals generated by the oscillator 212 representative of the mass or thicking mechanism 198 has been shown as employing variable condensers 21% it will be realized that other types of sensing mechanism, such as variable resistances, can similarly beem'ployed. In fact, it will be understood that varioustypes of sensing devices which develop signals representative of thickness or mass of travelling sliver can be employed rather than the tongue and groove roller mechanism shown and illustrated in thedrawings,

By reason of the use ofan adequate evener motion for the railway head 11% of the .aforedescribed system, it also will .be seen thatshould any one of the cards 20 be taken out of or put back into operation, as by disengaging or engaging its driving gears 72 and 74 by suitable operation of the lever 68, the frontrollsl 168 will change the draft of the entire railway head 110, i.e., decrease or increase the draft, sufiiciently to. maintain uniformity in the single sliver produced by the system.

It further will be realized that the time delay mechanism employed in the evener motion for the railway head Lift), as illustrated and described herein, is adapted for applications other than that of sliver drafting. In fact, it will be seen that an evener motion of thisty'pecan be used for sensing variations and making corrections for such variations in various physical characteristics of various types of materials that are moving in-a substantially constant stream.

It thus will be seen'that the objectsrof this invention have been fully and effectively accomplished; lt'willbe realized, however, that the foregoing specific embodiments have been shown and described only for the purpose of illustratingtthe principles of this invention and are subject to extensive change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

doffing means and sliver forming means; a railway head for receiving the slivers formed on said cards including back rolls and front rolls; means between said cards and said railway head for causing corresponding sections of the slivers'being delivered from said cards to said railway head to sag; means for feeding. the slivers formed on said cards to said sag-causing means; means including speed varying means for driving and for varying the speed of said doffing means and sliver forming means of all of said cards and of said feeding means in synchronism; means for driving said railway head independent of said driving means for said dotting means, said sliver forming means and said feeding meaus and means responsive to differentials between the rate of feed of the slivers to said sag-causing means and the rate of withdrawal therefrom by said railway head for controlling said speed varying means to vary the speed of all of said doffing'means, said sliver forming means, and said feeding means in synchronism so as to'maintain said feed and withdrawal rates substantially equal.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 including an evener motion for therailway head comprising means for sensing variations in each sliver as it approaches the back rolls and means controlled by said sensing means and responsive to the average of the variationsin all of the slivers for changing the speed of thefront rolls to correct for said variations. e

3. The structure defined in claim l in' which each card has feed rolls and including means for driving said feed rolls in synchronism with the dotting means.

4. The structure definedin claim 1 in which the driving means for the doifer includes a shaftconnected to the dofiing means and sliver forming means of all of the cards and to the feeding means and a variable speed motor driving said shaft. 7

The structure defined in claim 1 in which the sagcausing means includes means for forming all of the 9 slivers into substantially equal depending loops and means for sensing the position of the bights of said loops.

6. The structure defined in claim -1 in which the sagcausing means includes a J-boX and weight-variation-responsive means supporting said box.

7. The structure defined in claim 2 in which the means controlled by the sensing means includes moving means correlated with the speed of the sliver passing through the back rolls for effecting a time delay, between the sensing of a sliver variation and the effecting of a speed change, substantially equal to the time required for sliver to travel from said sensing means to the drafting point efiected by the front rolls.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 in which the correlated means includes moving magnetizable means for storing electric signals representative of the average of the variations.

9. The structure defined in claim 1 in which each card includes a licker-in, a carding cylinder, moving carding elements cooperating with said cylinder, and including means for driving said licker-in, carding cylinder, and carding elements of each card independently of the means for driving the dofling means and sliver forming means of each card.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 605,057 5/98 Hopkinson et al 19- 106 2,795,012 6/57 Gibson et al 19-98 2,888,259 5/59 Taylor et a1 226-42 2,964,803 12/ 60 Robinson 19-240 3,071,820 1/63 Bettoni et al 19-98 3,134,144- 5/64 Still 1998 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,180,379 12/58 France. 1,011,329 6/57 Germany.

779,197 7/57 Great Britain.

788,061 12/57 Great Britain.

532,633 8/ 55 Italy.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner. DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING TEXTILE FIBERS COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF TEXTILE CARDS EACH HAVING MOVING MECHANICAL DOFFING MEANS AND SLIVER FORMING MEANS; A RAILWAY HEAD FOR RECEIVING THE SLIVERS FORMED ON SAID CARDS INCLUDING BACK ROLLS AND FRONT ROLLS; MEANS BETWEEN SAID CARDS AND SAID RAILWAY HEAD FOR CAUSING CORRESPONDING SECTIONS OF THE SLIVERS BEING DELIVERED FROM SAID CARDS TO SAID RAILWAY HEAD TO SAG; MEANS FOR FEEDING THE SLIVERS FORMED ON SAID CARDS TO SAID SAG-CAUSING MEANS; MEANS INCLUDING SPEED VARYING MEANS FOR DRIVING AND FOR VARYING THE SPEED OF SAID DOFFING MEANS AND SLIVER FORMING MEANS OF ALL OF SAID CARDS AND OF SAID FEEDING MEANS IN SYNCHRONISM; MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID RAILWAY HEAD INDEPENDENT OF SAID DRIVING MEANS FOR SAID DOFFING MEANS, SAID SLIVER FORMING MEANS AND SAID FEEDING MEANS AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO DIFFERENTIALS BETWEEN THE RATE OF FEED OF THE SLIVERS TO SAID SAG-CAUSING MEANS AND THE RATE OF WITHDRAWAL THEREFROM BY SAID RAILWAY HEAD FOR CONTROLLING SAID SPEED VARYING MEANS TO VARY THE SPEED OF ALL OF SAID DOFFING MEANS, SAID SLIVER FORMING MEANS, AND SAID FEEDING MEANS IN SYNCHRONISM SO AS TO MAINTAIN SAID FEED AND WITHDRAWAL RATES SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL. 